Doctors Cry Too!: Essays from the Heart of a Physician

by Frank H. Boehm, John Seigenthaler (Foreword by)

These essays portray a medical profession that is sensitive, empathetic, spiritual and compassionate. They deal with physicians, patients, their loved ones - and the complex challenges that relate to these individuals. Doctors are faced with profound issues of life and death on a daily basis and frequently have to find their own way of coping with the challenges and the suffering that their patient's face. The book aims to help you see that doctors are subject to the same stresses and pressures of life as everyone else and that by gaining insight into the heart of one physician, you will gain insight into the heart of many.

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2001

Reviews

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author co-writes a column for his local newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee related to being a doctor. This book is a compilation of some of the essays that appeared there that he wrote. Each essay is fairly short, only takes a couple of minutes of reading. The grouping of the essays is into four sections, with the last the longest part of the book, titled “A Personal Point of View”, however, all of the essays could fall into that category.

The book is somewhat dated, since the essays were written mostly in the late 1990s. Medical advancements and understanding the human body have improved since then, making some of the advice not accurate any longer. But for the most part what he says, such as living life the fullest, is always good advice.

Many of the essays are personal, discussing his family and friends, as well as his own life. The book was okay, very heartfelt from the author, but not too sure how much I truly got out of the book. If it was a longer book not sure I would have read it entirely.

Book rating: 2.5 stars

[Veronica-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sensitive, heart-rending and eye-opening account from the perspective of a doctor, M.D. Frank H. Boehm. Originating from Essays which were published in 'The Tennessean', and later turned into a book called, 'Doctors Cry Too'. Extremely thought-provoking and humorous in parts but always revealing the many ways in which doctors are challenged and tested daily, often to the brink of their own humanity. Responses that are emotional and caring are not always forthcoming for the patient's benefit, and yet whether or not the medical profession who are taught to distance themselves for the best care possible can overcome this training, would require more enlightened compassion from each doctor. This would allow for the healing process to proceed more positively as the partnership between the doctor/patient would then enable the trust gained between them to be immeasurable. Highly recommended.